How To Become A Compressor Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a compressor operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a compressor operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.61 an hour? That's $44,954 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCompressor OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,954

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.47%

Asian 2.26%

Black or African American 10.46%

Hispanic or Latino 23.17%

Unknown 4.45%

White 58.19%

Gender

female 15.16%

male 84.84%

Age - 39.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39.5

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a compressor operator

Explore compressor operator education requirements

Most common compressor operator degrees

High School Diploma

37.1 %

Bachelor's

28.2 %

Associate

22.4 %

Start to develop specific compressor operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Dehydration	24.30%
Safety Procedures	13.34%
Safety Standards	7.54%
Production Equipment	6.58%
Tablet Press	4.89%

Complete relevant compressor operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New compressor operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a compressor operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real compressor operator resumes.

Research compressor operator duties and responsibilities

Manage documentation according with GMP and non-GMP practices.
Manage natural gas control and SCADA operations for company transmission line system.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Maintain and clean press using GMP approve materials

Prepare your compressor operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your compressor operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a compressor operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable compressor operator resume templates

Build a professional compressor operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your compressor operator resume.